bread & butter
There are three reasons why I love this post.
Two of those reasons involve butter. The other involves bread.
And thus also sums up what I love about life.
Here’s a fun fact: Once upon a time I had this idea in my head that I’d only have homemade bread in the house at all times. Like, I’d never buy a loaf of sandwich bread from the grocery store again. Like, I’d get up early one morning at the beginning of each week and whip up a few loaves to get us through the next few days. Like, I’d be the best homemaker ever and other unrealistic (read: insane) times like that.
I feel ashamed to say this, as I am one who bakes and blogs often about bread, but the truth is we buy a loaf of sandwich bread from the store EVERY WEEK. And it’s made by some generic company that produces a gazillion of them for grocery stores all over THE COUNTRY. And I LIKE THE WAY IT TASTES. And I’M USING A LOT OF CAPITALIZATION AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT. (*hangs head in shame*) But really, does this make me a bad person? No. It just means I’m (mostly) normal.
Whew. I’m glad we had this talk.
Then one day, one fine day, one magical day, the good people at Fleischmann’s opened my eyes and offered me the opportunity to try one of their Simply Homemade no-knead bread mixes. It’s basically a boxed mix with yeast and sugar where you add your own water, stir everything together, shape the dough into a loaf and bake it — and tada! you have bread. Delicious, easy, tastes-like-homemade bread — a.k.a., the sweet spot between store-bought and homemade bread.
I’ll be honest here: I’m not the hugest fan of using bread mixes on a regular basis. To me, it’s just not quite the same as making it from scratch, in both taste and texture. But when you’ve got a real life to take care of and therefore can’t make homemade bread every week (or maybe you can, in which case, hats off to you! But seriously.), this is a pretty great (and pretty yummy) solution. Especially when you serve it warm with some compound butter of the rosemary-garlic and raspberry-vanilla varieties. Oh yes.
Bread and butter. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
Rosemary-Garlic Compound Butter
A Girl Versus Dough original
Yields: 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with whisk attachment, beat stick of butter on high until fluffy and smooth.
Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment. Add rosemary and garlic to bowl; stir until just combined.
Transfer butter to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a cylinder; cover with plastic wrap. Cover plastic wrap with aluminum foil and twist ends in opposite directions to tighten.
Transfer butter to freezer and freeze 30 minutes. Transfer to fridge and store there until ready to serve.
Serve with steak, biscuits or warm, fresh-baked Simply Homemade no-knead multi-grain bread.
Raspberry-Vanilla Compound Butter
A Girl Versus Dough original
Yields: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with whisk attachment, beat stick of butter on high until fluffy and smooth.
Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment. Add raspberries, vanilla and sugar to bowl; stir until just combined.
Transfer butter to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a cylinder; cover with plastic wrap. Cover plastic wrap with aluminum foil and twist ends in opposite directions to tighten.
Transfer butter to freezer and freeze 30 minutes. Transfer to fridge and store there until ready to serve.
Serve with French toast, muffins or warm, fresh-baked Simply Homemade no-knead country white bread.
Disclaimer: I was provided with samples of Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade no-knead bread mixes for review purposes only. All opinions are my own.
We TRY to make bread at home, but, like you, our lives get in the way. Both butter recipes look great. I think I will make the raspberry-vanilla one today and eat it with challah, which I will make this afternoon. Thanks for the recipe and inspiration.
Leesa — Wouldn’t it be so nice to be able to do both? Sigh. 🙂 Hope you like the raspberry-vanilla butter — it should taste fantastic on challah!
Bread and butter are two of the greatest discoveries ever. Love both of these, I just need to decide which to make first
Carrian — AGREED. Hope you like whichever you decide to make 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Oh we make compound butters all the time, but never would have thought of raspberry vanilla as a combo! That’s next up on the docket =)
Peggy — Do it! It’s super good. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I went thru a phase (about 100 years ago) where I made 6 loaves of James Beard’s Cracked Wheat Bread every.stinkin’. Monday. With no mixer, by hand. Highly over rated. Not the bread (Beard on Bread..great book, better recipe) but the weekly thing. Don’t beat yourself up. Happy New Year!
Paige — Whoooooa, that’s crazy! Super impressive, though. Glad to know I’m not alone in thinking it’s just a little too much for real life. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
That rosemary butter sounds amazing! I almost never think to make flavored butters at home, that needs to change!!
I really think to bake all your own bread you need to find the recipe that works for you. I love reinhart’s book Artisan Breads Everyday because you mix up the dough in the evening, pop it in the fridge, then take it out when you get home from work the next day and bake it after dinner. It’s been the most hassle free method for me.
Stephanie — I so agree. Peter Reinhart is one of my favorites, too — I’ll have to skim through his book again to see if I find anything worth making on a regular basis (which I’m sure I will!). Thanks for the comment!
I love rosemary butter! My mother makes the best one I’ve ever had and I don’t think I can ever make it as good!
Lauren — I love the stuff! It makes everything taste better. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
There really is nothing better than bread and butter, except rosemary butter.
Claire — True. Story. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I keep saying that I’m going to start making all of our bread, but we go through so much of it and I just haven’t done it yet. These mixes look great though! And the butter? Yes, please!!
Deborah — I know, it’s a tough goal! At least we can make tasty butter more often. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Ohhh I will have to try those butters! I love making homemade honey butter and nut butters, but those look OUT of this WORLD! Have you ever tried maple butter?
Erica — Maple butter? I MUST KNOW MORE.